Construction at One YMCA's to house rough sleepers begins

Three floors of One YMCA’s Charter House hostel will be redeveloped to create 34 new rooms for rough sleepers, alongside engagement and activity space to help rough sleepers rehabilitate with independence.

Now contractors Willmott Dixon Interiors have begun construction work for the project.

New facilities will include a full height feature residents lounge and gantry, new commercial kitchen with extended dining spaces and a residents training kitchen. The building will also benefit from a new cafe, computer room and quiet space.

The contractor has allocated five per cent of the project value to help with social value initiatives including work experience placements and apprenticeships.

One YMCA will go through various improvements to house rough sleepers

One YMCA secured a £2.2million investment from the Government to fund the project, and the charity will also commit £1.8 million of its own funds towards the landmark to enhance it even further.

The charity says the combined investment in Watford will bring an estimated half a billion pounds of social value and savings to the local public purse each year, by reducing the significant costs of homelessness to the town.

Mark Turner, director of operations at One YMCA said: “It is almost impossible to understand the level of challenge and risk that those sleeping rough on our streets face day in and day out, especially during this Covid period.

“Those risks being quite literally a matter of life or death for many of those with underlying health conditions. However, in taking the difficult decision to change the use of and refurbish areas of our building to create this much needed move-on accommodation, we are absolutely certain we will have been able to save lives and help many otherwise vulnerable individuals back on their journey towards independence.”

The aim is to move people in the.new units from as early as July this year.

A draft render of a studio room to come to One YMCA

But the development has meant that the YMCA gym, dance studio and sports hall were instructed to shut with immediate effect on January 28.

This has also meant that Watford Gymnastics club, which serves over 900 children a week, had been told to shut.

While Watford Gymnastics Club continues to look for a new permanent home, the club announced yesterday (April 22) that it secured a temporary place in South Oxhey.

In a letter initially the club having to relocate, it was stated that the club was informed of the decision last minute, and the news came “out of nowhere”.

The letter stated: “We have not been consulted at any stage of this process. The first we were made aware of this was on the 28th (January 2021) after their funding had been secured. So this news has hit us out of nowhere.”

Guy Foxell, CEO of One YMCA, said he “deeply regrets” having to inform the club at the last minute.